The present invention relates to apparatus and methods for use in aligning fabric with multiple needle heads and, in a specific embodiment, quilting machines for aligning the stripes of the covering material with the needles of the quilting machine.
A conventional quilted composite generally includes a backing material, an intermediate quilting material such as foam rubber or cotton pile and a cover material. The cover material, in many cases, includes stripes running longitudinally of the material.
A conventional quilting machine will include multiple needle heads and usually an upper and lower tensioning bar in advance of the needle heads. The composite material to be quilted is in the form of a roll or bolt of material. The bolt of material is placed upon a supporting bar and the composite positioned under the lower tensioning bar and over the upper tensioning bar and fed into the multiple needle heads.
As the sewing occurs to quilt the material, the thickness of the quilting material will result in compression of the material by the stitching with the resulting consequence that the finished width of the material is less than the width of the beginning material. In a bolt of material of approximately 90 inches in width, the result of the quilting operation will reduce the original width by approximately 2 to 3 inches.
The positioning of the multiple needle heads on the quilting machine is set to the finished width and to be in alignment with the longitudinal stripes of the cover material. Accordingly, as the material is passed from the bolt of material and around the lower and upper tensioning bars, it is necessary to gather the material from its original width down to the finished width and to align the stripes with the needle heads. Presently, this alignment procedure is done by hand and accordingly, it is necessary for one or more individuals to constantly be present at the quilting machine to continuously align and maintain the alignment of the stripes of the bolt of material with the needle heads.
Until the present invention, there does not exist any apparatus or method by which the material may be mechanically gathered for alignment of the stripes with the needle heads.
Another problem faced by the industry is that of pleated or wrinkled fabric from the bolt of material to be sewn. These pleats and wrinkles must presently be straightened and aligned with the needle heads by hand.